Hull City boss Leonid Slutsky knew what to expect long before it was confirmed Abel Hernandez needed to undergo surgery on his ruptured Achilles. The sight of his striker receiving oxygen on a stretcher and the bleak assessments of his medical staff had braced the Russian for bad news on Tuesday night.

“It looks very serious,” said Slutsky immediately afterwards. And the same can now be said for his attacking problems ahead of the transfer window closing in less than a fortnight.

Seeing Hernandez ruled out for at least six months, City have lost their one dependable source of goals.

Abel Hernandez of Hull City is treated by medical staff (Image: Matt Wilkinson)

Fraizer Campbell and Adama Diomande will back themselves to take up the slack, as should Will Keane when returning from his own long-term injury in November, but Hernandez was Slutsky’s banker in attack, the predatory ace in his pack.

A hat-trick against Burton Albion had underlined as much. Hernandez might have scored more but three well-taken goals showed he would be a striker to fear in the Championship this season.

Replacing that threat will be a thankless task for Slutsky and his head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough ahead of the August 31 deadline. A £10m bid for Cardiff’s Kenneth Zohore has been rejected and, take Neil Warnock at his word, it is a pursuit that will not end with the Tigers getting their man.

Hull City manager Leonid Slutsky (Image: Focus)

There is certain to be contingency plans, including Leicester’s Ahmed Musa, but it is going to require a significant outlay in the next 13 days to fill Hernandez’s void. In a frugal summer that has so far seen City spend less than £5m to date, writing a cheque for north of £10m feels a must if they are to boast an attack capable of fuelling a promotion bid.

The Tigers had looked short up front even before Hernandez’s injury. Campbell has been a popular addition but alongside Diomande and Keane, City’s three other senior forwards have scored a combined total of 12 goals in their last two injury-hit seasons in English football.

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City losing Hernandez is akin to Leeds United having Chris Wood ruled out for the season or Aston Villa making do without Jonathan Kodjia for the same period. Masterstrokes – and money – are needed in the transfer market over the coming days and weeks.

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Slutsky will not need telling that. “We have lost Abel for six months, which is very, very disappointing,” he told the club’s website. “For me, Abel is one of the best forwards in the Championship and is a huge player for us.

“It is also a big blow for Abel himself because he had made a very good start to the season and was playing very well for the team.

“We wish him all the very best in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back out on the pitch as soon as possible.”

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A question for another day will be what comes next for Hernandez? Out of contract at the end of this season, it is understood the striker had begun talks over an extended deal in the last fortnight.

City were eager to stave off threats in the final days of the transfer window, while also guarding against the threat of Hernandez leaving for nothing next summer. An agreement had not yet been reached and this injury only muddies the waters.

The Tigers would surely have reservations over tying Hernandez to a long-term deal until the time comes when the striker is nearing a comeback. Achilles injuries are seldom straightforward and have diminished the powers of plenty. Just ask former City striker Matty Fryatt, who has not played in over two years.

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Hull City v Wolves

There is nothing to suggest Hernandez will endure such woes but the timing of this injury is made all the more cruel by the countdown to a World Cup. The forward had only spoken of his international ambitions at the weekend, targeting a summer in Russia alongside his stellar team-mates Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

Returning in February could yet keep Hernandez’s hopes of playing in back-to-back World Cups alive but even the best case scenario outlined by City would give him 15 Championship games to prove his fitness.

City, meanwhile, have to find an answer in the 28 Championship games he will sit out. Achieving a top-six finish suddenly feels like an almighty challenge without the goals of Hernandez.